Steam-trap



E K. DL o M MT. om, S B T AS Pa'tentd Deo. 12. 1893."

, Y 1 I, IMW/ Y NITED4 Sr'FAlTfE-S PATENT OFFICE;-

ouARLEs A. scHRoYER, or ornoAGo, ILLI'NoIs.4

sTEAlvl-TRAP.d

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,651, dated December12, 118913. Application led February 3, 1893. Serial No. 460,865. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom it mag/concern,.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES A. SoHRoYER, of Chicago, Illinois, vhaveinvented certain new and usefullmprovementsinSteam-Traps,

5 of which the following is a specification.

The trap to which my invention relates, while adapted more particularlyfor use in connection with the steam heating systems upon railway cars,is nevertheless useful in 1o other connections, and I contemplate sousing it. f

`These traps of various constructions are well known and in general use,and the object of my invention is to modify and improve upon the formerconstructionsin such a way as to produce whatI consider a most efficientand serviceable'trap. Y

The traps with which Iam acquainted have heretofore been used upon theoutside of zo the car, the disadvantage Yof which location will beobvious. A trap provided with my improvements is capable of being placedand operated within a car, thereby avoiding the objections incident tothe otherstyle.

z 5 My invention consists in the features, combinations and details ofconstruction herein after described and claimed. 1 In thedrawings,Figure lis a plan View partly broken,of asteam trap embodyingmy 3o improvementsgllig. 2 a section on line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 asection on line 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 a section on lineV 4 of Fig. 1, all the other sections beingtaken in the direction indicated by the respective arrows.

The shell or case, A, of the trap is made preferably of the form shownmore particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. At one end it is provided with astuffing box, A', of any suitable construction, and at the other withadjust- 4o able screw plugs B. It is further provided with an outlet B.This shell or casing is provided with an interior wall C, whereby anannular channel C is formed between the'outer casing `and the innerwall, this inner wall being further provided with ports C2 for thepurpose hereinafter described. The upper end of the wall, C, isthickened as shown at C, yand is concaved or hollowed, and against itrests a valve seat D, which is so formed as to 5o fit upon the concavedsurface of the wall,

thereby forming a ball and socket joint. This valve seat, as shown, ismade in the form of a ring, allowing steam and water to pass through itand escape through the ports C2, as herein- Vafter to be described.Bearing against the lower face (Fig. 2) of this thickened portion C3,which acts as a valve seat, isA a valve E operated by means of a rodEfand hand wheel E2,-the rod being screw-threaded and screwing throughthe plug B, as shown'. The valve 6o E is also preferably made inseveral` parts secured together by screw threads, in such a manner as toadmit of its proper'adjustment.

F represents the' steam pipeu connection. Screwing into this is a tubeG, made of brass or otherV suitable 'expansible material, lthe other endof which passes throughthe stuffing box A', and enters the casing of thesteam trap. When this tube expands suilciently, it is brought in contactwith the valve seat D, 7o and when it contracts, it withdraws from suchvalve seat, permitting' the steam and water of condensation to escapethrough the 'passage C and opening B.`

To hold the parts of the device together, I provide rods H, lwhich passthrough lugs, h, h', on the pipe connection'and the casing of the trap.These rodsgcarrynuts H at their ends, whereby they may be regulated andadj usted, and to prevent the device being broken -So or injured by anyundue expansion of the tube G, I insert washers or plugs of rubber orother elastic material, I, between ,the lugs h and the nuts H', wherebyan extra amount of movement'is aorded. This extra movement 8 5 isimportant for the following reasons; With these steam traps asheretofore constructed, there being no such movement provided for, anyunusual expansion will cause the expansible tube to bend, therebylessening the effi- 9o ciency of the trap, and preventing the formationof a tight joint between the expansible tube and its seat. Thisbucklingis prevented by the use of the` elastic washers hereindescribed, which, while not sufficiently yielding to prevent theformation of a tight joint between the tube of the valve and its seat,will yield under such expansive force as might otherwise cause the tubeto buckle.

The device is preferablynormally set to act roo at any temperatureexceeding 100 Fahrenheit. The expansion tube will remain in contact withthe valve seat, andthis seat having a ball and socket joint, a perfectand water tight contact between it and theexpansion tube is insuredunder all circumstances. When, however, the temperature falls to 100, orbe-` low this point, the pipe will contract, leaving an opening betweenitself and the valve seat for the escape of the water of condensation,as above pointed out. It should, of course, be understood that the partsmay be set to operate at any temperature, and I have only described 100oas a desirable temperature. If it be desired to draw 0E the water ofcondensation when the expansion pipe is incontact with the Valve C, thismay be done by opening the valve E, when the water can escape throughthe ports C2 and B. This Valve should be opened when it is necessary toshut oft the engine or detach cars, as this gives an open port from allthe radiating pipes. In

this way I provide an exceedingly efficient steam Valve which operatesreadily and automatically, which is provided with means for compensatingfor all the movements of the various parts, and which is adapted to belo cated and operated within the railway car.

I claimy 1. A steam trap comprising a casing, provided with suitableports, a movable valve seat mounted upon substantially a ball and socketjoint within such casing, and an expansion tube connected with the steampipe, entering the casing and adapted when expanded to contact with suchvalve seat, substantially as described.

2. A steam valve comprising a casing provided with suitable ports and aball and socket Valve seat, an expansion pipe connecting with the steampipe, entering the casing and adapted as `it expands and contracts tocontact with the valve seat and to withdraw theret rom, and a suitablyoperated valve, E, whereby the water may be discharged when the outletbetween the expansion pipe and the outlet is closed, substantially asdescribed.

CHARLES A. SCHROY'ER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE S. PAYsoN, SAMUEL E. HLBBEN.

